Italian researchers claim DNA tests on human remains from an ancient coffin are consistent with the long-held tradition that the bones belong to the apostle Luke.

A researcher at the University of Ferrara, Italy, extracted DNA from a tooth in the coffin and concluded that it was like that of a Syrian living near Antioch where Luke is said to have been born, reports the New York Times. Radiocarbon dating on the body suggests the person died between 72 A.D. and 416 A.D.

The coffin fits the dimensions of the tomb in the Greek city of Thebes that is considered to be Luke’s. Last opened in 1562 A.D., the coffin is believed to have been in Padua, Italy, since 1177 A.D.

Randall Younker, director of the Institute of Archeology at Andrews University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution, says the data, as presented, is a long way from establishing the identity of the remains as a scientific fact. “But it’s nevertheless interesting,” he says.

“If you could really prove that this was Luke it would have some archeological value,” says Ekkhardt Mueller, associate director of the Biblical Research Institute. “But the question is ‘How much theological value does it have?’

“Even if we could conclusively identify the remains as Luke’s, I don’t think we would gain much,” says Mueller, who adds that relics have never been important to Adventists. “It’s not doubted that Luke lived and even most critical scholars would agree that he wrote Acts and the Gospel of Luke.”

The report of the DNA tests appeared October 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. Lead researcher Dr. Guido Barbujani, an expert on genetics of European populations, admitted there is no way to tell if the remains are Luke’s, but said the genetic evidence does not contradict the idea.